Category — Seeds

Hosted by Isobel Yeung
May 2015The full episode will be available on HBO On Demand and HBO Go.

Genetically modified seeds have been planted around the world and hailed as a solution to global hunger. But these crops, called GMOs (genetically modified organisms) have also sparked heated protest around the world. VICE Correspondent Isobel Yeung traces the path of these super-crops from the headquarters of American agribusiness titan Monsanto to the soy fields of Paraguay.

A perfect storm is brewing as agriculture pioneer Cary Fowler races against time to protect the future of our food. Gene banks of the world are crumbling, crop failures are producing starvation inspired rioting, and the accelerating effects of climate change are already affecting farmers globally. But Fowler’s journey, and our own, is just beginning. From Rome to Russia and, finally, a remote island under the Arctic Circle, his passionate and personal journey may hold the key to saving the one resource we cannot live without: our seeds.

Create your virtual garden using our online patent-pending garden-builder software. Slide the dimension bars to select the size of your existing bed. Input your zip code so we can determine your home’s hardiness zone, and filter our available plants to suggest those that will thrive in your specific environment. Then peruse our expansive selection of vegetables, fruits, and herbs to build the garden of your dreams. As you build, watch as we display your estimated germination percentage, the days until harvest, and the money you’re saving!

Cliff and Pamela don’t feel they face many obstacles due to growing their seeds without synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides.

The seed business supplements their primary income from Social Security.

By Diane Desenberg
Ground Breaking Roots
July 13, 2014

I was tickled pink to find Cliff and Pamela Fox of Our Vegetable Patch. They are all about heirloom seeds. I didn’t have an email address or telephone number for them, so I was forced to show up unannounced at their Brewster, Kansas home. As I was trying to figure out whether anyone was around, they came down the street, having just returned from a fishing vacation. They were genuinely thrilled to share their excitement about the 225 varieties of seeds they grow.

I’ve had a curiosity about chestnuts for many years – since childhood, actually. We used to go Fall hunting for the ‘perfect’ chestnut as they fell to the ground. But those were horse chestnuts, not the edible type. There was the old classic song, Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire, kept alive most notably by the Nat King Cole version. But the edible kind weren’t available by the time I was growing up – most of the big American chestnut trees were wiped out by a fungus in the early 1900’s. For me, chestnuts were a mythical food.

At regular intervals throughout the growing season, the program delivers seedlings to several dozen community gardens around town

By Mark Thompson
Farming Philly
June 2, 2014

Excerpt:

… the program produces an estimated 200,000 seedlings a year at five greenhouses around the city, one of which is located on the grounds of a minimum security prison. About 80 percent of the seedlings are crop varieties that have previously been grown and distributed by City Harvest, and have generated positive feedback from community gardeners around town, he said. The other 20 percent are new varieties.

The mission is to help customers buy organic seeds directly from the farmer, while helping seed farmers earn more of a living by selling at retail prices instead of wholesale to seed catalogs.

Press Release by Luke Callahan
San Luis Obispo CA
May 12, 2014

Seedwise.com, the organic and non-GMO seed marketplace, has created an online platform for organic seed farmers to connect directly with retail consumers. Home gardeners and farmers alike can now purchase seeds with the added knowledge of exactly where and by whom, their seeds have been grown.

SeedWise is breaking down one of the last barriers of transparency in the organic movement by integrating the farmer at the root level of commercial exchange. Unlike even the most well-respected organic seed companies, SeedWise allows buyers to choose not just seed variety, but also provides the choice of seeds grown in specific climates, by particular farms.

The company is also running a Pledge to Plant sweepstakes, which will reward 50 random people with a home garden package and a donation to their local garden program (valued at $550)

By Derek Markham
Treehugger
March 6, 2014

Excerpt:

In an organic twist on the standard vending machines we’re all familiar with, one organic seed and food company is combining social media, gardening, and giveaways, all of which help promote the company’s generous garden grant program.

SEED: The Untold Story, a feature-length documentary film, tells the harrowing and heartening story of humans’ 12,000-year relationship with seeds. As many irreplaceable seeds are nearing extinction, SEED unveils a David and Goliath battle for their future. The film follows an absorbing journey into “doomsday” seed vaults, the colorful dedication of seed savers, and the world of indigenous tribes, who strive to protect our sacred seed ancestry. SEED celebrates the mystery, power and essential nature of seeds. Entertaining and engaging, SEED will ignite the imagination of audiences, inspiring them to be part of a brave new movement dedicated to safeguarding our world’s sustainable future.

This 68 page handbook is greatly expanded from the previous edition, giving seed savers the most up-to-date information on seeds, flowers, and pollination. It demystifies the techniques of saving seeds from common garden vegetables, giving simple detailed instructions for each type.

Written with beginners and experts in mind, this is a manual for home seed savers as well as small-scale commercial growers. Whether you are learning to save rare heirloom varieties, discovering how to save money by growing your own seeds, or simply interested in learning more about the finer aspects of seeds and gardening, this is an excellent beginner’s manual. Sections for the advanced seed saver give details on seed production of biennial crops (beets, carrots, celery, leeks, etc), hand pollination, and many more helpful hints.

We created small packets of seeds called SeedTabs to make buying and planting seeds as easy as drinking coffee.

Excerpts from SeedTab website:

Over a year ago we started handing out small packets of seeds to friends and family. The drug like bags full of seeds received confused looks that quickly faded into smiles as understanding took over. The response was consistent, people are excited to plant, but aren’t willing to go out of their way to find the needed items. We decided to eliminate this hurtle by developing SeedTabs and offering them in the high traffic locations of our communities.

“I focus on selecting varieties that grow well in containers and can handle our crazy urban heat island weather.”

Founded by Zach Pickens

Launched in 2010, Rooftop Ready Seeds has launched a new website and online store, offering 25 varieties of vegetable, herb, and flower seeds for urban gardeners in New York City. Rooftop Ready Seeds is the first seed company to offer New York gardeners a line of locally-grown seed tailored to their unique urban climate and container planting conditions.

All Rooftop Ready Seeds are open-pollinated and grown using only organic methods in several rooftop locations in and around Brooklyn–including a special seed-saving partnership with Brooklyn Grange. Each variety of seed is collected from individual plants that have proven to thrive year after year in the urban garden environment, with some varieties representing sixth-generation seeds.

The reality of urban farming continues to express itself in every nook and cranny of the city.

By Daniel Rotsztain
Popupcity
February 4, 2013

Excerpt:

Hawaii-based Eating in Public’s Seed-Sharing stations are unmonitored installations that have started to pop up all over the USA and Canada. They offer an easily accessible space for urban gardeners to exchange seeds and important information about how to best grow their fruits and veggies.

Grants Support Community Gardens and Sustainable Farming Programs Nationwide

Los Angeles
January 22, 2013

Seeds of Change®, maker of nutritious organic foods, is excited to announce the 12 recipients of its $10,000 “Share the Good” grants in support of community based gardening and sustainable farming.

The 12 recipients were selected from more than 13,000 entries and nominations received as part of the grant program to enhance the environmental, economic, and social well-being of gardens, farms, farmers and communities. Organizations told Seeds of Change® how they share the good in their communities through sustainable gardening and farming for a chance to receive one of 12 $10,000 grants.